Amidst the uncertainty about the Presidential Election, one thing is clear – Ohioans overwhelmingly support health and human services. All but one of the 51 county health and social service levies before voters on Tuesday passed – many with large margins. The exception was the only new levy up for consideration, a 1.5 mill, 10-year additional levy for Morrow County’s Board of Developmental Disabilities. According to unofficial results with all precincts reported, that levy was about 800 votes back with 48% of the vote.
The real winners in these races are people in need in Ohio.
The Center for Community Solutions compiled these election results Wednesday afternoon from unofficial tallies posted by the county Boards of Elections. They included all precincts for nearly all counties. The results will not be official until certified.
Whether for mental health and addiction services, children’s services, developmental disabilities, public health, or senior services, health and social service levies received bi-partisan support. Ninety-six percent of the levies that passed did so with margins greater than 10 points. In several counties, health and social service levies received a greater share of the total vote than Donald J. Trump, even in places that overwhelmingly supported the President. Levies that fund services for older adults were particularly popular. The senior levies in Butler, Allen, Williams, Tuscarawas, and Defiance passed with 50 point margins, and the least popular senior levy, in Marion County, still passed with 65 percent voting for the levy.
Ninety-six percent of the levies that passed did so with margins greater than 10 points.
The real winners in these races are people in need in Ohio. The financial resources provided by county health and social service levies can be put to use in communities across the state to help some of our most vulnerable residents and to combat the social and economic impacts of poverty and COVID-19.
